Speculum.



PATENTED JAN. 10, 1905.

C. F. SPANGLER.

SPEGULUM. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1.1904.

Witneaoeo do. 7 7,85. I

- UNITED STATES Patented January 10, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES FREDERIC SPANGLER, OF KANE, PENNSYLVANIA.

" H SPECULUM.

SPECIFiCA'fION forming we of Letters Patent No. 779,885, dated January10,1905.

' Appl auoufiled September 1,1904. Serial No. 223,017.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OHARLEs FREDERIO SPANGLER, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing at Kane, in the county of McKean and Stateof'Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSpeculums, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactspecification.

The object of this invention is to provide a quad-valve speculum bymeans of which a generence being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, in which the same referencecharacters designate like parts throughout the several views, and inwhich Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device with the parts in theirproper relative positions as they appear when in use. Fig. 2 is aperspective view of the main part or speculum; Fig. 3, a perspectiveview of the supplemental part or retractor, and Fig. 4 a transversesection through Fig. 1.

The device is so constructed that it is capable of being made entirelyof steel or other wire bent into shape and properly welded at thejoints, the bends and joints being smooth and rounded to avoid sharpcorners and projections. It consists of two members separate from eachother, but especially constructed to cooperate with each other toproduce aspeculum of the quad-valve type, each of the members beingcapable of use separately, however, as a bivalve speculum and one ofthem in addition as an efficient retractor.

The main member consists of two endless loops'ct and b of the properlength, the loop as constituting the anterior blade and being thenarrowenand shorter of the two and the loop 6 constituting the posteriorblade, this latter rod 0.

loop being braced longitudinally by a central These loops or blades areconnected together at their outer ends by a spring d, so constructed asto normally hold them in parallelism when closed as well as whenseparated. The spring is connected at one end al to one of the'side barsof the longer blade 6 at a distance from its outer end, from which pointof connection it extends outwardly at an approximately right angle tothe blade, then curves upwardly and inwardly across and beyond the outerend of blade a, and then downwardly to its point of connection d, whichis at the extreme outer end of the blade a at the opposite side fromconnection d. This main part is introduced into the vagina first bycompressing the distal ends together, the narrower blade being above orin front and the longer and wider blade pressing backwardly against therectum. The blades are then released and the spring causes them toseparate. It will be observed that the loop-shaped spring permits thefingers to readily grasp the outer or rear ends of the blades and thatwhen the device is in position there will be no obstructing projectingparts.

The supplemental member consists of two endless narrow wire loops orblades 6, provided with rounded ends and connected together near theirouter ends by a lateral springwire bow f, the ends of the bow beingconnected to the side edges of the blades. After the main part has beenintroduced, this supplemental member is inserted to cause a lateral.expansion of the vaginal walls, the blades being inserted between theexpanded blades of the main member, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Theblades of this supplemental member are normally parallel, and theactuating-spring is so located that when the device is in position itwill lie near to or against the spring (Z of the main member and be outof the way, as is shown in Fig. 1. As is obvious, this supplementalmember may be used as a retractor for my speculum or any other speculumdevice.

It will be observed that it is the special object of this device toafford sufiicient and satisfactory exposure to view of the organswithout the aid of an assistant, especially in stout persons, where byreason of the relaxed superfiuous vaginal tissues the tissues wouldclose in between the blades of the speculum when expanded if they weresolid. This is accomplished by an open-bladed wire speculum constructedin the manner shown and described, which permits a general inspection ofthe entire vulvar, vaginal, and cervix-uterine surface, as is obvious.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various mechanicalembodiments of the invention are possible, and I therefore do not wishto be limited to the exact construction and arrangement shown anddescribed.

What I claim is 1. A quad-valve speculum, consisting of a main member,comprising a pair of open wire blades connected at their outer ends byan actuating-spring, and a supplemental member comprising a pair of openwire blades connected at their outer ends by a spring and beingsufliciently narrow to pass between the blades of .the main member.

2. A quad-valve speculum, consisting of a main member, comprising a pairof blades.connected at their outer ends by a lateral spring extendingfrom one side edge of one of the blades, atadistance from its outer end,up over the other blade and connected to the opposite edge of the otherblade, and a retractor or supplemental member whose blades are adaptedto pass between the blades of the main member.

3. A wire speculum,-consisting of a pair of open Wire loops or bladesand a laterally-extending spring connecting their outer ends.

4:. A speculum, consisting of a pair of open blades, and alaterally-extending spring connecting their outer ends, said springbeing connected to the edge of the lower blade at a distance from itsend and thence extended up over and across the outer end of the otherblade and connected to the opposite edge of the latter.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature, in the presence oftwo witnesses, this 30th day of August, 1904.

CHARLES FREDERIO SPANGLER.

Witnesses:

WM. A. BAKER, J r., C. V. GILLIs.

